Advanced «Ghost» Interval App

This is an app created for use with the Suunto Ambit range of sports watches. It also works with the newly released Suunto Traverse adventure watch. During your interval you can see how far ahead or behind your desired pace you are and how many metres you have left of the interval. You also get an audio alarm if you fall too far behind your target pace. You then get a time based recovery period before commencing your next interval.

How it Works

You can get the app up by installing it from Suunto’s Movescount App catalogue.

It is recommended to make a copy of the app as your own private version. Then you just edit the code to suit your desired workout.

Options

Interval pace (secs/km)

Interval distance (metres)

Recovery interval (seconds)

Setting up the App

Click on the download link here and you will be taken to Suunto’s Movescount site, where you can add this app to your Suunto device.

Instead of just using the App «as is», it’s a good idea to make a private copy of it so that you can edit it according to your own needs. You probably will want to change the interval pace, interval distance and recovery time.

To «duplicate» this App for your own needs I recommend doing as follows:

1. Go to the App in the Movescount App Zone.
2. Add the App to your own library by clicking «Save App».
3. Now click the «App Designer» link under the «Plan & Create» menu. You will now see a list called «My Apps».
4. Click to select «Advanced Ghost Intervals».
5. Next click on the «Create Copy» button to make your own private version of the App.
6. Give a name to your App – eg: «1km/3:30/2mins»
7. Leave «Publicity» as «Private».
8. Scroll down and you’ll see a section called «Create». Click on the «Enable advanced editing» option.
9. In the code area, change the interval pace, interval distance and recovery time values to your desired settings.
10. At the bottom right of the screen click on the «Save» button.

You will now have the App saved and ready to use on your Suunto device. Next, go to the device settings area of Movescount and create a new «Sport Mode» with activity type «Running», give it a sensible name like «intervals», and you can now add the App to the sports mode’s display area. Save your new sports mode, sync your device with Movescount and you’re ready to go. Happy training!

Using the App

Assuming you’ve got the App set up and ready to use in one of your «Sports Modes», all you have to do next is start a new activity from the «Exercise» menu of your watch.

Starting the First Interval

As soon as you start the activity you will go right in to your first interval (so do you warming up beforehand).

The App display switches back and forth, every two seconds, between two data fields – one showing your performance compared with the «ghost» pace and the second showing how many metres you have left of the current interval.

On the first data field, depending on whether you are ahead or behind you target pace you will see either «Ahead» or «Bhind» followed by a value in metres.

There is also an audible alarm which beeps to tell you if you fall more than 10 metres behind your target pace. This alarm stops once you are more than 80 metres behind, as by that point you probably know well enough that you are behind!

In the second data field you will simply see how many metres you have left of the current interval. For example: «Run 850m».

Recovery Period

Once the hard interval is complete you will hear three beeps and the recovery interval then begins.

During this time the display will show a countdown of how many seconds of recovery time you have left. For example the display will show «Easy 30s».

At the end of the recovery period you will hear three beeps and the next hard interval will begin.

Hard intervals and recovery periods continue repeatedly in this way until you complete your activity.

Questions/help

If you have any questions or comments please get in touch and I’ll try to help…